Mourinho has preferred new boy Andre Schurrle and the returning Kevin de Bruyne alongside Oscar and Eden Hazard behind the Blues lone striker, while the signing of Willian has also increased competition.

Mata, though, has revealed a quadriceps injury suffered in pre-season – which he began late because of his involvement in the Confederations Cup – has hampered his progress and insists he is relishing life at Chelsea under Mourinho.

‘After a few days [of pre-season] and a couple of games I felt a bit of pain on my quadriceps and I had to slow down. It was something new for me because I had never had these kind of problems, but I kept calm; it was (it is) still the beginning of the season. That’s why the first weeks of training were a bit tricky for me,’ he wrote in his blog One Hour Behind.

‘At present I’m feeling better, looking forward to enjoy again a great season.

‘The club has entered a new stage and we want to keep winning trophies and making you happy! I’m positive that this team has a lot to offer… My goal, as always, is to keep learning to become a better player.’